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Everyone needs some meditation…

Last weekend I was able to attend an amazing one-day zen meditation retreat with my brother on Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis. The day was crisp, cold, and it had just snowed. March Madness.

We arrived at the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center 10 minutes before the retreat was to begin. The roads were slippery and the drive wasn’t easy but we made it as we walked through the porch door kicking snow off of our shoes. There were people gathered on the porch all staring at the view out front-beautiful Lake Calhoun-or at the wall. It was a little surreal to walk in feeling like we had already missed an introduction or instructions of some sort. We did have one person tell us in a whisper to find a spot and that at exactly 8 we were expected to be on a pillow.

Not ever having been there it was confusing, plain and simple but on the porch there were hot pots of coffee and water with a basket of tea, people seemed friendly or at least interesting. NO one was talking though. I mean I know meditation is done in silence but I expected there to be a beginning meet and greet kind of time and there was it just came later than expected. We meditated for 30 minutes to start off and then we gathered in the main room and heard a lovely dharma talk and understood that the entire retreat was to be in silence. I missed that memo in the retreat outline-truthfully-it wasn’t there as I guess that is an understood norm for everyone else but me.

I am an introvert and struggle to make daily conversation and hate chit chat yet it was very hard for me to spend the day in silence. I do like to crack people up and often love to make jokes in inopportune moments. This would have been one of them if I wasn’t trying so hard to fit in. I was uncomfortable at first, everyone around me seemed to know so much more. Come to find out almost everyone else in attendance is a regular there. My brother and I were first timers and that made it quite a challenge. By the end of the day though I was thrilled with the experience. We did sitting meditation, walking meditation, and mindful work meditation (which for us was ironing cloth napkins). Even eating lunch was a meditation-and the lunch was vegetarian and delicious. I was able to focus on a few key items in my life that I struggle with and I did a lot of silent (of course)praying for my whole extended family. I loved my one-on-one session with Wanda Isle, our guide for the day.

It was an amazing experience. My brother and I chatted on the way home about our experience, some similar and some different. I was ready to get myself a pillow and a mat and start practicing every day at home. I had the best of intentions.

I looked for cushions and mats-they are expensive. I can just use a pillow though and yet I never once was able to sit down and do this like I know it should be done, not once during my week. I’m a little frustrated with myself. I did do walking meditation once at work when I had some stressful moments and it helped.

I do want to make this part of my regular day, every day. I will work to find some space to do this. I need help though.

Spring Break

Walker Art Sculpture Garden

Groovy Girl and I spent 3 days in the Twin Cities visiting my brother and his family. We enjoyed relaxing with them and we spent Monday off on our own in Uptown and by the Walker Art Center. Turns out I forgot that the Walker is closed on Mondays and yet we managed to enjoy our day together.

The one sculpture left is the big spoon; all the rest have been moved.

Our lunch spot

Minneapolis skyline on a foggy day

L is for Lowry or lunch

Trying on hats at Calhoun Square

She had a hard time picking just one lunch item.

Fish and sweet potato fries and my fish tacos- all were delicious.

Last year at this time we were in Little Rock and I had my amazing reading retreat with Verda and Angelle. While I wish I could do that every Spring Break this was a fun day to share with my Groovy Girl.

Pizza and game night

I’m so excited. Tomorrow night we are hosting our son and his girlfriend for homemade pizza and a serious game of cards.

Even though we live in the same town we don’t see enough of each other. He’s a student, works full time and has his own thing. We talked at our Christmas brunch about a game night and we are just getting around to doing it. Hello Spring.

Because of the book fair/conferences we won’t be able to begin our night until 8:30. That’s okay. They eat late all the time. Because of that I am spending my night prepping most ingredients. I’ll make the dough in the morning. That way it will be easy to assemble after I close the book fair down.

I am cooking a pound of good sausage, sautéing mushrooms, onions, and garlic. I’m chopping tomatoes and artichokes. And I’ll start my tomoto sauce in the morning while I make the dough.

We’ve made pizzas so many times as a family event that we can all help roll, toss, and top our pizzas just the way we want them. I loved that when Tristan’s girlfriend suggested the pizza idea for the game night that his response was “oh if you want pizza, my mom will make pizza!”

He knows homemade is almost always better!

Scholastic Book Fair's in town.

And I made muffins for the teacher all-day preview. It’s my way of luring the teacher’s in to the fair to make a wish list so parent’s will buy books for their classroom. I wanted them to be yummy and enticing (and unfortunately my idea of yummy is healthy than what the rest of the world is interested in) so I scrolled through a few cookbooks to find something that spoke to me. I found it in my King Arthur Flour cookbook; Chocolate Breakfast Muffins. I made a double batch. Groovy Girl thought they were delicious.

Chocolate Breakfast Muffins (makes 12 large)

2/3 cup cocoa, Dutch-processed or natural

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp vinegar

8 T butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 425*

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt ,and chocolate chips. Set aside.

In a large measuring cup or medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and vinegar. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, along with the melted butter, to the dry ingredients, stirring to blend. There’s no need to beat these muffins; just make sure everything is well combined.

Scoop the batter into 12 lightly greased muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Don’t let them burn-they do cook quickly and my oven cooks high. Remove them from the oven, and after 5 minutes remove them from the pan, allowing them to cool on a wire rack before serving.

I love baked goods warm. I ate a few of the mini muffins just after they’d cool a bit and they were delicious. The chocolate chunks (which is all I had) and the toffee bits (I added for fun) were perfectly melty.

When I served them on Monday I heated them up also so the first few smart teachers had warmed up muffins-melt-in-your-mouth chocolate breakfast muffins.

Check out King Arthur’s amazing website.

Enjoy!

29 days of book love…

There is something special about stories that spread the joy of books and reading.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce is just one of these rare books. Beautifully told and illustrated it demonstrates the journey stories take us on and how we are better for choosing the love of reading.

Morris loves words and reading and he is transported into a new world. Kids love the illustrations by Joyce and the little light bulbs pop as the story unfolds.

And my assignment for this month is done. March will not be as fruitful because I go back to my own writing.

29 days of book love…

I stopped. Why bother, I thought, when no one is listening? It’s frustrating I admit it but do I want to admit defeat? No.

After that struggle I reassessed; I’m not really writing for anyone else. It’s important for just me. Do I want people to read? Absolutely. Do I want people to comment? Absolutely. Yes, please. Say something, tell me what you think. I love discourse and dialogue.

But even if I’m just talking to myself it’s okay.

So I cam back to book love. Barbara Kingsolver. Anyone else love her?
I’ve read almost all of her books.

Here are my favorites in reading order:

1. The Bean Trees (1988): Goodreads wasn’t around but I read this one first and fell in love with the way it was written and the characters. I kept reading the series as I found them.

2. Prodigal Summer (2000): An amazing character driven tale that takes place in Appalachia. I loved Lusa because she was struggling with her place in the world. I could relate.

3. The Poisonwood Bible (1998): Wow. Ten years after The Bean Trees and this is a big leap up. A totally different kind of story. Quite good and I made it through all 546 pages.

4. Animal Vegetable Miracle (2007): She said everything I wanted to hear about food. Changed the way I thought about meat. My son was so happy. Local, healthy food and funny stories along the way.

5. The Lacuna (2009): Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Harrison Shepherd jaunt through Mexico and the U.S. during the 1930s. Beautiful and 508 pages.

6. Flight Behavior (2012): Goodreads says it like this “Contemporary American fiction at its finest…” I agree. This story blends interesting characters with an environmental message that made it easily my favorite of all her books.

Thank you Barbara for writing. I love your work.

29 days of {bookish} love…

{James and his little sister with his research project}

No book talk today as I spent a good portion of my night at our school science fair. I saw many wonderful projects and a few that I would buy if they were available like a laundry sorter that also folds! I would be first in line for that invention.

Today I share a few of my favorite students with their projects:

{Amelia with her HFCS-free homemade ginger ale recipe}

[Varun with his sticky boots to prevent ice falls]

{India with her child-proof flip plug}

[Frances with her snow removal gates]

{Henry with his remote-controlled snow removal vehicle-every Iowa home needs one}

{And Lucas who investigated mold and bacteria on chip dip}

Such interesting projects.

29 days of book love…

Kate DiCamillo

Simply Kate

Beautiful writing

Everything by Kate

This is how my students and I speak of DiCamillo and her books. I pretty much read them in order because that’s how they came out for me but my school kids read them in any which order and they recommend them to each other. Teachers read them aloud and when I say a title the kids collectively swoon, as in “OOOhhhh, Mrs. Tjaden read that to us last year…AAhhhh, it was soooo goooood!” I’ve heard she has a new one just out. I’m sure we’ll love that one as well.

1. Because of Winn-Dixie (2000): Girl and her lovable adopted dog.
2. Tiger Rising (2001): Rob and Sistine make memories with a tiger.
3. The Tale of Despereaux (2003): Mouse + Princess Pea =charming!
4. Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (2006): Stuffed rabbit journey.
5. The Magician’s Elephant (2009): Peter takes an unexpected chance.
6. Bink and Gollie (2010): Adorable quirky friends, easy reader style.
7. Flora and Ulysses (2013): Flora Belle and a squirrel, yes, for real.

Everyone should read Kate; you will be transported into whatever world she has created.

29 days of book love…

I read this book on a road trip and annoyed my family for many miles as I exclaimed and read paragraphs to them. And by them I mean my husband as I’m sure Groovy Girl and Teenage Boy had ear buds in. He liked what I read to him, thought it was also good but I think my exuberance for Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming was over the top for him.

I was ready to make it into a play. Even though the book is fiction it is her account of growing up and it’s told in beautiful poetry. I’m not a fan of books told in verse but this one I loved. Her poems really spoke to me. Her family stories move between South Carolina and NYC during the 1960’s.

Now that I’ve reminded myself about how much a loved reading every page of the book I may have to pick it for my 6th grade book club. I’ll have to wait a book or two as we are just finishing up The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly, another strong female character historical fiction for every one to read. So much book love…

and look the awards on both books.